Chapter 220 The Troops Are Divided Into Two Groups

468

The big golden retriever pushed hard against the bushes above his head and struggled to get out of the hole in the fence.

Susie looked around warily, then lowered her head, licked her paw hair, and bit off a small tuft.

It checked its body again, turned around a few times, and carefully observed its shadow.

"Well, I'm still a dog, I haven't turned into a human..."

It breathed an extremely humane sigh of relief, checked the leather bag on its chest, and quickly ran outside the manor.

Susie ran quickly, crossing the ditch and the wide road for carriages, crossing the wild flowers on the roadside and the odd pedestrians coming and going, and went straight to the Church of Storms, which was located in the bustling area of ​​the northern city.

However, as it ran, Susie discovered more and more people whose appearance and clothing did not match their behavior. It cautiously entered the northern urban area. The situation not only did not improve, but also intensified.

Most people would not pay attention to a dog running around, not to mention that Susie was wearing a small necklace with gold-rimmed glasses and carrying a small leather bag. Her golden hair was soft and shiny, and she looked very polite. At first glance, she was a breed of dog carefully raised by a wealthy family. It's not a wild dog, and no one will notice it.

In this way, Susie carefully walked through the loopholes in the rules of "identity confusion" and moved forward.

While passing through a park, it gradually stopped, pretending to be an ordinary dog, sticking out its tongue, wagging its tail, and running around in the surrounding flower beds and grass.

A large group of people of different identities ran strangely towards a specific direction, as if something was calling them there.

Susie followed carefully while pretending to be an ordinary dog, falling far behind, watching them rush to somewhere, constantly pushing and squeezing each other, causing many stampedes.

But the advancing crowd did not stop, and the trampled people kept trying to crawl forward instead of saving themselves. This strange scene made Susie feel a little uneasy. But soon, they stopped in the distance, motionless and silent, falling into a deathly silence, blocking the road ahead tightly with three layers inside and three outside.

"Woof."

Susie restrained herself from imitating human behavior, put her front paws on the roadside, and walked around curiously for a few times.

It instinctively felt that this might have something to do with the current anomaly, but it did not approach rashly because it was an animal, because it knew that there must be a huge danger hidden there, and it would most likely remain motionless after approaching.

After watching for a moment, Susie wagged her tail and continued running towards the Tidal Church of the Storm Church, which was already within easy reach.

Just as it passed a corner, Susie suddenly braked and hid in the shadow of the wall, her eyes widening in disbelief.

It saw a strange person standing in front of it, or in other words, a group of strange people. This group of people were wearing white coats like doctors. They were sitting together on their knees with dull expressions, their upper bodies leaning forward, and their hands constantly moving. , seem to be working together to do one thing.

Susie just glanced at it and immediately turned her head, because as a dog, her sensitive sense of smell smelled a strange smell.

This small corner was dark and oppressive, and a cold air lingered. This thick and strange smell could not be dissipated even if there was ventilation around it, because there was a source.

Susie rarely smelled this kind of smell, but her reason told her that it was the smell of rotting meat, and it was the smell of rotting meat for a long time.

These doctors surrounding a piece of rotting flesh?

The big golden retriever can't control his curiosity, and he doesn't dare to get close for fear of possible danger.

Suddenly, it thought of a way.

It ran towards a puddle of water, looked into its own eyes in the water, and used "hypnosis" on itself:

"In the next half minute, you will forget your identity, your sequence and all mystical knowledge, tightly converge all your spirituality, and become an ordinary dog."

"In the next half minute, you should naturally pass by this corner and look over there naturally."

"Just take one look, then leave, go back to the corner and hide."

"These instructions take effect as soon as I close my eyes."

Then Susie took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

The psychological suggestion and hypnosis it gave itself immediately started to work. After a few seconds, it opened its eyes, looked around suspiciously, and put the tip of its nose close to the ground, sniffing back and forth on the ground, looking for its owner Audrey. the taste of.

But there was no smell of the owner around, nor any smell of other humans that it was familiar with. After turning around a few times, the golden retriever turned its head according to its own psychological hints, and ran out of the shadow where it was hiding, taking small steps. He ran to the corner ahead.

When passing the corner, the golden retriever smelled an unpleasant smell. It subconsciously looked at the strange group of doctors, stretched its neck as if to find out the source, lowered its head slightly, and moved forward while sniffing. After walking a few steps, his front paws stepped into the boundary between light and dark in the corner.

The dull-looking doctors in white coats suddenly turned their heads and stared at Susie, who was five or six meters away.

Susie, who was just an ordinary dog, was startled by this scene. She took two steps back in response, barked loudly, backed up while barking, and finally backed out of the corner and ran away into the distance.

After passing a corner, Susie suddenly stopped and closed her eyes.

When it opened its eyes again, a human "thinking" expression appeared on its face again.

It looked back to confirm that it had passed that corner, so it chose a sunny corner to sit down and began to recall everything it had just seen.

Five doctors in white coats.

In their hands they held needles and transparent thread.

This kind of line seems to be used for fishing. Audrey saw others using it when she took it to experience country life a few days ago.

They gathered around a piece of rotting flesh.

No, not a piece of rotten flesh, a pile of rotten flesh.

They're taking this rotten meat...

Sew together.

Susie suddenly opened her eyes.

The canine instinct made it subconsciously tuck its tail when encountering incomprehensible horror, and place its ears close to its head. It almost wanted to jump up, and then bolted back to the castle to inform Audrey of the news - because Audrey was He can speak, but he cannot tell the Church of Storms this news!

Not even members of the Church of Hypnosis Storm can do it, because the Church will definitely pursue the source of this information, and their own hypnosis will certainly not be able to block the Church’s psychological suggestions. If one of Miss Hall’s dogs is found to be mouthing human words, then he will Totally exposed.

"Sealed object, this time the sealed object must be out of control."

Susie walked around anxiously, with her tail between her legs, carefully recalling everything she had just witnessed.

"There was something lying next to the pile of rotting flesh."

"Round, flat, like a mirror."

"That mirror is an out-of-control sealed object? Well, it affects people in the city, confusing their identities, being controlled by it, and stitching together a ruined corpse?"

From Hall Castle to the northern urban area, everything is within the scope of this sealed artifact. According to the church classification that Susie knows, this should be a terrifying level 1 sealed artifact!

"No, we can't go back to find Audrey now. If Audrey can't come out, I will waste time if I go back!"

Its only advantage in this accident is that it is not a human, but an extraordinary animal. Its status as an animal makes others naturally relax their vigilance against it, and it can also escape the influence of most sealed objects aimed at humans.

After thinking about this clearly, Susie immediately continued to run towards the Tide Church.

After turning a sharp corner in a hurry, a series of loud sounds suddenly came from the street ahead, and the sky also turned dark.

Dark clouds, thunder and lightning?

Susie still remembered the occult knowledge she had learned, and was suddenly happy - the people from the Church of Storms began to take action!

…

Hall Family Castle.

Audrey sat in her bedroom, trying to keep her mood calm, and praying that Susie could bring the church people smoothly.

However, in these short ten minutes, Audrey suddenly heard the footsteps outside the door becoming denser, and the sound of the door opening and closing. It seemed that many people were walking out of the room, constantly walking in the corridor and Walking up and down the stairs.

However, among such dense footsteps, no one spoke.

Her heart suddenly rose to her throat, and she quickly gave herself two "comforts" and conducted another "psychoanalysis" to stabilize her state and maintain her ability to think rationally.

She was still wearing riding clothes that made it easier to move around. She stood up carefully and tiptoed close to the door, wanting to hear the sounds outside.

Just when she was only two or three meters away from the door, there was a sudden knocking on the door.

"Audrey?" Someone called her name outside the door. The voice seemed so abrupt among the dense footsteps, "Audrey, the afternoon tea is almost cold. I ended my official duties early today and am waiting for you on the balcony. long time."

Audrey was shocked - she had asked Hibbert before when she would have time to have afternoon tea with her, chat, and gossip about some inside information and gossip about the surrounding noble families, but why did it happen to be today?

This is her eldest brother, Hibbert Hall...wait, this voice is not Hibbert's!

Hibbert has speaking experience in various public occasions and has participated in many social and government activities. He has a good eloquence and an excellent voice. However, his current voice sounds a bit weak and weaker than Hibbert. A lot, this is a male, but definitely not Hibbert... Audrey felt dense goose bumps on her arms. She rubbed her arms gently, making her voice as lively and lively as usual. , answered "Hibbert" outside the door:

"Wait for me, dear Hibbert!"

"I just suddenly thought that I would go horse riding next week, so I put on my new riding clothes in advance. It fits me very well."

"I'll change it back now."

"Hibbert" outside the door smiled. This unidentified man took on the identity of Hibbert and joked to Audrey like a real brother:

"My sister is so impatient. Audrey, no matter where you go, you are the most dazzling gem in the crowd."

"Our family afternoon tea doesn't require a special change of clothes, but if you insist on doing so, I'll wait for you outside."

Audrey's palms felt cold, but she still smiled and said:

"Then I can't keep you waiting any longer."

She wasn't sure if this was a test or a "surprise", so in order to facilitate her escape, she chose to go wearing convenient trousers.

When she opened the door, her brother Hibbert was standing outside. Audrey was in a daze for a moment, but she came back to her senses immediately.

If she hadn't heard something strange in the room just now, she would have naturally believed that this was "Hibbert"!

Audrey showed an impeccable smile. Her tied up hair and light and convenient riding clothes gave her a more refreshing beauty. "Hibbert" praised:

"Pearl white suits you perfectly, Audrey."

"Thanks."

Audrey walked to "Hibbert" as if nothing had happened, and the two walked side by side towards the garden balcony.

Along the way, all the servants in the castle seemed to have come out, moving things large and small back and forth, and placing items covered with black cloth in every corner of the castle.

Audrey was confused and had a vague bad feeling, but "Hibbert" looked like he was used to it, so Audrey didn't dare to ask questions.

Finally, amid Audrey's anxiety, they reached the third floor. Two servants worked together to move a huge item past them and headed downstairs.

The wind while walking blew a corner of the black cloth.

At the moment of intersection, Audrey caught a glimpse of the back of her head in the black cloth - this thing was a huge mirror.

The servants are constantly taking out the mirrors from the room and placing them in the castle in a strange order and at different angles.

Audrey moved slightly, and the mirror bracket just scratched her trouser leg.

She stopped and complained:

"What a shame, my brand new clothes."

"Hibbert" stopped naturally, followed Audrey's gaze, and comforted his sister:

"These servants are too careless. Don't be sad. I will ask the tailor to make you a new suit."

"Audrey, forgive them. After all, decorating the castle is an urgent matter."

Hearing this, Audrey said "sullenly": "I know."

She straightened herself back up and kept going. Before entering the balcony, she loosened her clenched right fist and let the sweat in her palms dry naturally to prevent attracting "Hibbert"'s attention.

As one of the owners of the castle, she knows it better than anyone else.

——There is no requirement to "decorate the castle with mirrors" at all.

469

"...I have heard of your name, but I never thought that the philosopher who proposed the theory that 'man is born free' is still alive in this world. I have also read your books and papers you have published. "On Human Nature Formed by Man in the State of Nature" gave me great inspiration and gave me a deeper understanding of thinking about 'human nature'."

Amon expressed his opinions seriously like a philosopher.

Standing opposite him was an old man with white beard and hair, wearing a simple bishop's robe, tall and thin.

His beard was trimmed properly, his face was friendly yet serious, and his sea-blue eyes shone with a wise light that was almost non-existent among Storm believers.

"Life is born free, but it is always in chains."

"The kindness of our nature is being tested all the time, and our freedom is also running in shackles. In reality, our world is full of danger and chaos, and shackles are both constraints and protection."

The professor-like bishop smiled and talked to Amon.

He didn't wash the ground with lightning in a furious manner, he didn't ask the other party quickly for information about the lost sealed artifact, and he didn't show any vigilance or fear in his eyes towards this young man whose rank was higher than his own.

"That paper was written almost ninety years ago. I used it to obtain a doctorate in philosophy from the Lundborg State University."

He smiled and sighed: "I'm honored that my immature works when I was young can inspire you. Your understanding of 'human nature' is equally novel and new. If I hadn't met in this situation, I would have wanted to invite you. Let’s discuss it together.”

"One of your points is very interesting... In the state of nature, human beings live in harmony while fighting nature for their own survival, and have formed good and simple virtues in their mutual relationship with nature. There is no unified moral code , but human nature is natural and perfect, and you think that the development of civilization has destroyed these primitive virtues, people are becoming smarter and smarter, but private ownership has made people’s minds worse..."

Amon then changed his title and used honorifics, trying to make himself look more humane, more trustworthy, and less like a fraud.

——However, this behavior itself is naturally a kind of "fraud"!

After saying this, he joked humorously:

"If another professor I know well heard this point of view, I guess he would be eager to debate with you."

"oh?"

Lurmi asked with interest: "It seems that my colleague does not agree with my concept."

"Not necessarily." Amon shrugged, "After all, the textbooks he gave me still include your works and papers, right?"

"Sounds like an interesting man. The debate happened a long, long time ago."

The professor and bishop showed a nostalgic look in his eyes. Then he broke away from the academic discussion atmosphere, looked around at the people standing still, and said:

“What is your insight into the current situation?”

"Although this is presumptuous, you need to share some intelligence. Your sealed artifacts have caused big problems to my city, and you should take responsibility."

Amon had no choice but to shift from the topic of "human nature" that he was most interested in to the pursuit of sealed artifacts that he was not interested in:

"The sealed object I lost corresponds to the 'Stealer' path and has the ability to 'deceive'. The current identity confusion is its influence. The spiritual imprint left in it has strong malice towards me, but I am not sure about it. Will you choose to run away or attack me?"

"The crowds, obstructions and car accidents you see are all behind the scenes, and the purpose seems to be to prevent me from getting closer..."

Amon thought for a moment and said:

"Somewhere in the manor area outside the city."

"Well, that's a useful piece of information..."

At this moment, some slight noises attracted the attention of the two saints. They turned their heads together and saw a large golden retriever dog with its tongue hanging out walking back and forth among the still crowd.

What they heard was the sound of the big dog's paws hitting the ground.

"animal?"

Amon was confused at first, and then realized: "Animals may not be within the scope of influence of that sealed object."

Lurmi had already walked over: "Maybe it represents someone's cry for help."

The silent crowd made a sound of intensive footsteps, and all stepped back a few steps, exposing the position of the big golden retriever dog.

The golden retriever was treading on the spot a little uneasily. Lurmi touched its head, then reached out to open the small leather bag that the golden retriever was carrying, and took out a note from it.

After unfolding, a woman’s beautiful handwriting wrote:

"An abnormality occurred in the Hall family castle, and I was trapped in the castle."

Lurmi looked at it, thought about it, and then said to Amon clearly:

"Your information is correct."

Hearing this, Amon put his head over and saw the words clearly. He couldn't believe it:

"It's actually hiding in that area. Isn't this a fraud?"

"The northern urban area is my jurisdiction, as are the manor areas of the nobles. The Hall family is a believer in the goddess. I will contact the Church of the Night and go there first to check the situation. If conditions permit, I will rescue the survivors first." Lu Ermi put away the note and said to Amon in a friendly manner, "I am already an old man and have no courage. Therefore, I hope you can... protect the people in the northern urban area on my behalf."

He emphasized the word "protect" slightly.

Amon frowned: "I should be the one to handle my sealed artifacts."

"And you shouldn't leave the responsibility of protecting the people to me, I'm a wild Extraordinary."

He didn't want to take responsibility, and he didn't understand the reason why Lurmi did this from the bottom of his heart. Although the reasons were very good, he really couldn't understand the reason why the other party trusted him so much.

Is it possible that my "sincerity" actually succeeded in deceiving?

"Citizens need protection, and I don't have the means to control them on a large scale."

Lurmi looked at the librarian's uniform and colorful scarf on him, and smiled kindly again: "I like the Municipal Library in Stone very much, and I often go there. The window seat on the fifth floor is the best."

"I also know that in the past two months, the number of thefts in Stone has dropped significantly."

"I am already an old man and I just hope to live peacefully every day."

TBC

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I'll take the exam for subject 4 in the afternoon. If I pass it, I'll get the copy and update it today or tomorrow.